Ivory Coast World Cup star Yan Diomande pens heartbreaking tribute to late sister
Ivory Coast World Cup star Yan Diomande pens heartbreaking tribute to late sister
Alan SmithThu, June 18, 2026 at 1:00 PM UTC
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Yan Diomande has paid an emotional tribute to his sister Roxane, who passed away aged 15 following an incident in which she allegedly had a drink spiked, with the Ivory Coast star saying: "Everything I do on a football pitch, it's for you."
The RB Leipzig winger, in an article published by the Players' Tribune, has revealed the heartbreak he experienced when being told that his sister had died not long after he made his debut for Leganes in La Liga last year.
Diomande, 19, wrote: "I never got any answers. I don't know if I want to know why. Maybe it was jealousy. Maybe it's just something that happens in our country. Maybe I could have protected you. I don't know.
"I try to trust God's plan. It's all I can do. I don't try to forget, because I know I won't forget. All I can do is use the pain to work harder, and to do everything we dreamed about.
"I wrote this because I can't speak about it. I wrote this because I want you to know that I will make sure that you live on. I will make sure that everybody knows your name. The whole world.
"Everything I do on a football pitch, it's for you. So much has happened since I last saw you…… You would not even believe it. I don't know if I believe it."
The letter also details Roxane's influence on her brother when growing up in Abidjan, how he grew up with dreams of emulating Cristiano Ronaldo, and how she supported him through a series of rejections from clubs following unsuccessful trials.
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"They just kept taking me all around Europe, and everybody kept saying no," he wrote. "My visa was up. My dream was over. They sent me back to Africa, and we cried together.
"You were the one who never stopped believing. A few weeks later, I signed for Leganes and we cried different tears."
Diomande in action for RB Leipzig (Getty)
Written just before he travelled to North America for the World Cup, the letter concludes with Diomande, who has previously been linked with a move to Liverpool, vowing to become the world's best player.
"This is my chance to show the whole world what you saw in me. Every time I score, I'll make sure everybody knows your name. I'll make sure they don't forget you," he added.
"You always said that I could be better than Cristiano. If I see him there, I'll tell him hello for you. I'm going to do what you predicted, I swear. Before I even had real boots, you were telling everybody, 'My brother is going to be the greatest in the world.'
"I will prove that you were right, or I will die trying."
Diomande impressed in Ivory Coat's World Cup Group E opener against Ecuador, with a 1-0 win leaving them second behind Germany on goal difference before they meet in Toronto on Saturday.
Source: “AOL Sports”
